When I dropped in to see Joe Webber at Jim Pattison Hyundai in Nanaimo to pick up the new 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe my jaw dropped! There awaiting me was an absolutely gorgeous red sleek sport machine. I thought to myself, “Oh my, I can’t wait to see how this baby goes’… and go it did! Joe Webber knows me well and made sure I was presented with the 306-hp rocket that propels itself from 0-60 in under 7 seconds. The 2010 Genesis Coupe was everything I read about and more! This stunning two-door coupe is offered with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 212 hp and the 3.8-liter V6 engine producing 306-hp.

The Genesis Coupe is based on the same rear-drive platform as found under the Genesis sedan, but with almost five inches chopped out of the wheelbase. The Coupe features a MacPherson strut dual-link front suspension and a five-link rear suspension and electronic stability and traction control systems. Superior handling? You bet! I was really looking forward to this weekend away as we had the pleasure of spending it with H&L’s official photographers, Mia & Alberto Dominguez and we were staying at the recently built Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa with a spectacular views overlooking over the Straight of Georgia to the Gulf Islands. The Saanich Peninsula: what a wonderful place to visit. From the seaside town of Sidney-by-the-Sea, to the charm of the central Peninsula, this area has something to offer to every member of the family.

The Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa opened on May 1, 2007 and features 55 spacious guestrooms, including 9 suites with full kitchens for those who want an extended stay with a home away from home feel. Gabriela and I stayed in one of the pet friendly rooms on the 3rd floor as we brought our 9 month old Doberman, Maxxine to play with the hotel’s ‘Dog-on-Duty’, Dave. The hotel is first class with such amenities as a 3,250 sq-ft full service spa with salon and fitness centre, plus street-side café/deli and a wonderful waterfront restaurant and lounge (Haro’s) with a fantastic outdoor terrace and a sensational view. The staff are first class too! In all my years, never have I stayed in a hotel, motel, B&B or whatever where we were treated so well. The Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa staff are the best I have ever experienced… absolutely remarkable service and attention to every detail. Thank you to Lisa Bellinger, Melanie May and the entire staff.

Our first day in the little town of Sidney-by-the-Sea could not have started out any better as Mia, Alberto, Gabi and I set off for a Whale Watching & Wildlife tour with Canadian Coast Guard certified, Jeff Wonnenburg of Emerald Sea Adventures. Finding whales is not always easy but Dave has a remarkable success rate of over 90% during the months of June-September. Dave operates right from the hotel so you don’t have to leave your hotel in search of a tour operator. What an afternoon it was! The sun was shining and the sea was calm as we set sail for a 3 hour tour through the myriad of tiny islands that are host to a variety of marine mammals, sea birds and floral and fauna. Wonderful Dave… thank you!

After relaxing in our room for an hour, it was time to experience the culinary expertise of one of the top restaurants in Victoria for the past twelve years, Café Brio! Only a short 20 minute drive from the hotel, I was looking forward to getting in the Genesis Coupe again for a rip down the highway. What pleasantly surprised me was that while the Genesis Coupe is a two door sports car, the four of us actually fit all very comfortably in the car.

What a pleasure, as we arrived at Café Brio … a quaint little restaurant on Fort Street with its peach coloured stucco facade and clay-tile roof, sage green shutters and wrought-iron fence. We were greeted by Greg Hays and Silvia Marcolini, the creators of Cafe Brio. Café Brio menu is outstanding and Greg and Silvia take great pride in supporting local farms such as, Sloping Hills for pork, Parry Bay for lamb and Quist Farm for beef.

When H&L goes to experience a restaurant for an article, our practice is that we don’t order from the menu. We like to have the proprietors serve us a selection of their favorites and the rule is we all share so none of us miss out in sampling each and every item morsel. Greg and Silvia new exactly what to serve us as we started off our culinary experience with a selection of Charcuterie (a French term used to describe the art of salting, smoking or otherwise curing meats) all made by hand using old world methods. Venison Summer Salami smoked with Gin, Tender Lamb Prosciutto, Country Pork Pate and Chicken Liver Parfait….. simply sensational! Next from The Oceans we were served the freshest of Seafood; Pan Roasted Sablefish and Scallop Fritter (I wanted more of that), Pan Roasted Halibut and Cacciucco a Tuscan style fish stew. Then came a sampling from The Farms; Roast Stuffed Cornish Hen, Grilled Pork Loins and Roast Veal Strip Loin and crispy sweetbreads… Grey Poupon anyone? We finished our Café Brio experience with a fantastic Vanilla Bean Crème Brule and a delightful Lemon Mascarpone Mille Feuille (layers of pastry separated with a cream filling) while savouring a wonderful locally roasted coffee from 2% Jazz (2percentjazz.com). What a wonderful experience at Café Brio. Here’s what some of the experts say: “…great atmosphere and the food is bursting with flavours. Best Restaurant in Victoria.” – Vancouver Sun. “…the pitch is perfect in Brio’s kitchen.” – Gourmet Magazine. “Cafe Brio tries to satisfy rather than impress and ends up doing both.” – Conde Nast Travel Magazine.

Our Sunday began with a coffee and breakfast in the hotel’s street side, Café Georgia and then for a tour of the new Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre right next door. The Ocean Discovery Centre is an aquarium and environmental education centre that explores the wonders of the Salish Sea, the name given to the inside waters of Vancouver Island. Opening June 20, 2009 the centre will showcase live marine life in massive aquarium habitats and will play an important role in inspiring connecting visitors with nature and a new found understanding of the local waters. This will surly be a great place for the entire family and one that children will especially enjoy.

Heading back to the hotel, Alberto and I got ready to take some fabulous pictures of the Genesis Coupe while the Mia and Gabriela relaxed and enjoyed the hotel’s Haven Spa. Hilarious! You should have seen the faces on the girls when Alberto and I returned to the hotel …they were all smiles after their Hot Stone massages and YUM Gourmet facial treatments (ahhh you poor things).

Lunch time! Where else but the convenience of the hotel’s very own, Haro`s Restaurant with sweeping views of the Ocean, Gulf Islands, Mount Baker and beyond. Like all the staff at The Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa, our waitress Martia was fantastic and the food was sensational. Like Café Brio, Haro’s also supports local farms and serves the freshest produce from local growers and organic farms, and Haro’s seafood items are selected in support of sustainable fishery practices as well as from the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program.

After packing our bags and saying our goodbyes to the friendly staff at the hotel we could not leave without visiting Mineral World that is also conveniently located right next door. Mineral World is an adventure land of gemstones! Buy a collectors bag and choose your own treasures by hunting through thousands of gems such as; Amethyst, Agate, Tiger’s Eye and more! Whatever you can fit in the bag you keep! Great fun for the kids let alone the adults.

We will definitely return to the Saanich Peninsula and Sidney-by-the-Sea. There is so much to see and do that we ran out of time to stroll the wonderful and quaint main street that has a myriad of interesting stores including more than a dozen book stores and thus its nickname ‘Book Town’. Another thing we really wanted to experience was the hotel’s Sidney Island Picnic. Here, the hotel packs you a gourmet lunch and ferries you across the Haro straight to Sidney Island for a summer picnic. The ferry runs between 10am -5:45pm, 7 days a week from May 15 to September 30th. Ah well, at least we know the drive back will be fun in the Genesis Coupe. See you again soon, Saanich Peninsula!